The present disclosure relates to image forming apparatuses employing electrophotography, such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and multifunction peripherals having their functions integrated together. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to removable units that are removably attached to the main body of an image forming apparatus, and to image forming apparatuses provided with such a removable unit.
Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic process, image formation generally proceeds as follows: An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrying body (photosensitive drum) of which the surface is electrostatically charged uniformly, and by use of a developing unit, a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrying body. Then, by use of a transferring member, such as a transfer roller, that forms a transfer nip with the photosensitive drum, the toner image formed on the image carrying body is transferred to a sheet that comes conveyed. The sheet is then passed through a fixing unit, so that the toner image is fixed to the sheet.
Such an image forming apparatus is provided with a destaticizing device for eliminating the residual electric charge on the image carrying body after the transfer of the toner image formed on the image carrying body to the sheet in preparation for the formation of the subsequent electrostatic latent image.
For example, one known image forming apparatus is provided with: a transferring/charging device that transfers, to a sheet, developer fed from a developing device to a photosensitive body and that in addition electrostatically charges the photosensitive body with a potential of a polarity different from that of the potential with which it has been electrostatically charged by a charging device; and destaticizing means for eliminating, by irradiation of light of a predetermined wavelength, the electric charge produced by the transferring/charging device.